Originally published on 10/11’s Pure Nebraska Program
More than 4,000 students representing 43 schools across Greater Nebraska have overwhelmingly indicated their penchant for small communities according to five years of cumulative data released by Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF) and the Center for Public Affairs Research (CPAR) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
NCF and CPAR began the Nebraska Youth Survey initiative in 2020 in an effort to better understand the priorities and perspectives of middle and high school students living in communities as small as Diller (population 260) and as large as Norfolk (population 25,928). Questions have uncovered everything from their perceptions on Nebraska and rural places, to plans for the future and expectations of the places they choose to live.
Feedback has remained consistent over the past five years, often with increasing favorability for rural communities over time. Key findings taking into account all 4,063 responses gathered since 2020 include:
1. Students prefer small towns and report no stigma attached to living in rural places. When asked about ideal community size, students most often answer “small like my hometown.” In 2020, 47% of those surveyed gave this answer and in each of the following years, that number rose well over 50% averaging 55% over all five years. A staggering 73% said there is no negative stigma with returning to or staying in the place you live now.
2. Their safety is a top priority. When asked to think about their ideal community and to rank its qualities from most important to least important, students have selected safety from violence and theft, good schools and proximity to family as the top three most important factors, in that order, for five consecutive years. Bullying (both online and in-person) is a common occurrence among Nebraska youth with a cumulative 44% reporting they have experienced it.
3. Many Young Nebraskans want to remain in the state. Of the over 4,000 students surveyed, 59% say they are somewhat or extremely likely to live in the area they live now as an adult. In 2020, 68% of the students surveyed said they felt connected to the place they live now. This number has also seen steady positive growth with a cumulative 76% reporting connection to their community over the five-year data collection period.
Findings from the Nebraska Youth Survey have been used extensively over the years by Nebraska Community Foundation’s network composed of 270 communities and 1,500 volunteers. For instance, only 34% of student respondents have agreed with the statement “I play a role in this community” since the survey began. In response, volunteers across the NCF network have been devising numerous strategies to better engage young people, with many NCF affiliated funds offering decision-making and leadership opportunities to youth. The survey has also reinforced the importance of work centered on inclusion, equity and diversity, something students say is of great value to the places they choose to live in the future.
“Our extensive youth survey work is helping NCF and the thousands of leaders we work with build communities of choice for the leaders of tomorrow,” said Jeff Yost, president and CEO of Nebraska Community Foundation. “In our global society, young people have more options than ever, but because of technology, the opportunities our rural communities present are also abundant. These five years of data indicate great promise for the future of our rural hometowns and our state.”
